Australia reaffirms its commitment to Indigenous Australia

April 04, 2012

Sodexo Australia, part of a global organisation committed to worldwide Diversity and Inclusion, today reaffirmed its commitment to closing the gap on Indigenous disadvantage through the launch of its 2nd Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP).

Sodexo’s inaugural RAP was launched and brought to life in 2011, where Sodexo committed to four broad streams of engagement in Direct Employment, Business Enterprise & Community Sustainability, Sporting, Arts and Culture, and Education and Training.

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“I am honoured to say that we have since celebrated many successes in the four broad streams we committed to; however our highlights for the year are in Direct Employment, Business Enterprise & Community Sustainability,” said Johnpaul Dimech, CEO Sodexo Australia.

Wendy Dawson, National Indigenous Diversity Manager added “The journey to sustainable engagement with our Indigenous communities that results in tangible outcomes is a long one. By respecting differences, listening, communicating and bridging cultural gaps, we facilitated programs and activities that have been accepted and driven by the local communities.”

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“By taking the first successful steps to assist Indigenous employees find employment that allows them to ultimately return to their homeland communities, we have enabled new leaders to emerge, share their skills and ultimately grow self-sustaining communities to create their own wealth for a sustainable future.

Through the learnings of 2011, we now proudly continue our RAP journey into 2012, and reaffirm our commitment to continue evolving as a culturally competent organisation that is a welcoming and supportive employer of choice for Indigenous Australia,” said Mr Dimech.